8.06.2011

Hey guys! We sure have been hot down here in Arkansas. In fact, the other day we reached a record high of 114 degrees. Geeeez! I've almost given up cooking it gets so hot in our kitchen. I said almost...So sad!! So I've been doing things like this...

homemade ice cream in a zip loc

milk + vanilla + sugar + ~10 minutes of elbow grease...So worth it!

Lakin' it up!

Since I mentioned the above ice cream trick, I figured I'd introduce you to my newest obession. I've been entertaining myself indoors by spending much of my time on Pinterest (www.pinterest.com). Have you heard of it? If not, you've GOT to check it out. ASAP. I discovered it when I saw a friend post a picture from Pinterest onto facebook. So, I clicked to see what it was and fell.in.love. No lie, I spent the next 24 hours on the dang thing after I discovered it! So what is it, you ask? It's basically a virtual pin board for you to keep a collection of your favorite ideas. It's absolutely wonderful. And the great thing is that you can create an account for FREE that is linked to your facebook account, so all of your facebook friends can follow your pin boards, and you can follow theirs to see what ideas they've pinned. I love sharing ideas!! Just to give you a taste of some of my pin boards....

entire chalkboard wall I hope to have in my future home!

make your own egg McMuffins by baking eggs in muffin tins...duh!

this gorgeous front porch that I can only dream about for now

make-ahead crock pot meals to freeze in a zip-lock...can we say time & money saver!?

home bar made from an old dresser...I'd love to make this!

DIY headboard from an old door. Love it!

If I had known about this 2 years ago when I was planning my wedding....it would have been amazing. When I was planning, I was ALWAYS saving pics of ides I liked for my wedding. Flowers, table scapes, shoes, bridesmaids dresses, hair styles, wedding cake designs, etc. And I would save them to their respective folders on my computer, but then I'd have the hardest time remembering where I had originally found the pictures on the web. Luckily, Pinterest lets you pin pictures of things/ideas you like to your virtual pinboards, and they are always there when you log in/out. No taking up space on your computer. You can "re-pin" things that have already been "pinned" onto Pinterest by other users, OR you can "pin" a picture from any of your favorite websites and it will pin on your pinboard. AND, when you click on the image of anything you've pinned (a picture of a recipe, for example), it takes you to the blog/website where the recipe/idea is listed or where it originated from. Genius! Here are more of my favorite things I've pinned.......

cake stand made from dollar store finds (plates, candle sticks)...to make for a wedding shower?

make your own sugar scrub. Great gift to have on hand!

vodka + vanilla beans=homemade vanilla extract

I've already made these cute little Pepperoni Piggies. For sure making again for the tailgate this fall!

a recipe to make your own oatmeal cream pies...dangerous!

etch your glass bakeware with your name to make sure you get it back when you take casseroles to pot lucks

out of taco seasoning? Look in your spice cabinet and make your own!

genius storage idea for pots/pans that I envy!

There are so many different things on this site and you can categorize them however you like! I have a pin board for recipes, cute entertaining ideas, fashion (nails, clothes, jewelry), interior design ideas, photography, and my very favorite pinboard, possibly my most FAVORITE thing about pinterest, is my DIY (do it yourself) pin board, which I've named "Intelligent Ideas." GUYS...I've learned SO many neat ways to do things an "easier" way than usual simply due to the fact that other Pinterest users have "pinned" these ideas onto Pinterest and I was able to take these ideas and "re-pin" them to my boards to try for myself. Things like how to make your own headboard, bookshelf, etc. They all come with instructions, too! Other shortcuts are shared to make things easier on yourself, and who is opposed to that!? How to antique paint furniture, make decorations for holidays, use household solutions like toothpaste or vinegar for things you didn't know you could use them for, and TONS of organization and storage tips using unexpected items. It's so hard for me to describe in words how many great tips I've received from this site. I'll leave you with some final images of my favorites from Pinterest...

how to make no-sew striped curtains

I WISH I had this walk-in closet with washer/dryer

kids kitchen made from old dresser...cute!

make your own chalkboard paint in whatever color you'd like!

and this dreamy pool house

Ok, I think you get it now. It's really awesome and I'm super addicted. I'll shut up now and you can go check out the website! Have a great rest of the weekend!!